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  • How my nomination as monarch divided Anyim, Ajimobi, others —Osun monarch Oba Abolarin

    Youthful looking traditional ruler of Oke Ila Orangun Osun State, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, is a modern day monarch in every sense of the word. He had trained as a lawyer and built a career in the legal profession before he became the Personal Assistant on Political Affairs to former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim. Then he got a call from his kinsmen in Ila Orangun to return home and become their monarch. The self-confessed lover of R&B music told PAUL UKPABIO the events that culminated in his emergence as a royal father, why he has not given up on style and why he still teaches History and Government in secondary school even as a monarch.

    Could you recall where you were the day you learnt that you would become the next traditional ruler of Oke-Ila Orangun?

    I was in Abuja, working as the Personal Assistant on Political Affairs to the then Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim. The news came to me as a shock because it was the last thing on my mind. As a matter of fact, I never thought that such a thing could happen to me in this lifetime.

    But you knew all along that you are from a royal family?

    That is true. But it just didn’t come to mind. It is not something that I remembered or had in mind, especially for someone like me who was already set for leadership at the national level in the country.

    What were the first thoughts that came to your mind?

    They were difficult thoughts. I didn’t know where to start from because there were so many things that came to mind. The call was sudden.

    What was the immediate reaction of your immediate family?

    For a whole year, the reaction was not so pleasant because it was unexpected. I became hypertensive. There was unhappiness in my nuclear family and even my extended family. My mom too was not in tune with it until after a long time.

    But why so?

    We were not prepared for it. I had prepared for leadership and my family knew that, but not at the traditional level. But then, what will be, will be. Leadership at any level is sacrifice, tolerance and service.

    Did your family later have a change of mind?

    Yes, but that was after a long period time. And I must confess that it led to one or two negative things in the family, which I do not readily discuss. But it is all the sacrifice for being on the throne.

    What happened immediately you got the news?

    I had to move immediately. But it was a different experience entirely for my family. I never liked a dull environment. I had always been an active person in terms of activism and participation in national affairs. I did not go to school to become a monarch. I didn’t even wish it for myself. I rejected it in my heart, but again, the pressure started to mount. My predecessor had joined his ancestors and it was the turn of my family to present a candidate for the Orangun of Oke Ila. Eventually, I became the king.

    I was someone who was looking to serve at a different level, but here was another service that I was called upon to take on. What I have realised about life is that you don’t run away from service, despite the fact that I didn’t wish it for myself.

    Where did you grow up?

    I was born and bred in Ibadan. I had never spent seven days at a stretch in Oke-Ila before I became the king. It was a different kettle of fish when I got here as the king.

    So after a decade as the royal father, how would you describe the journey?

    I will actually be 12 years on the throne in December of this year. Like I said earlier, service is service. If you are ordained by God to actively shape people’s destinies, you should be happy. I thank God for the opportunity because I have found myself in a place where I change the attitude of a people, mould and re-direct their future, using the past to build a template for the future. It is a wonderful experience.

    But again, it is not all a bed of roses in terms of followership. It is difficult for people to change their erstwhile patterns of life. I have realised that it has to be gradual. Development itself is gradual. But all said and done, I am happy doing what I am doing.

    While you were working in Abuja, was becoming a full blown politician on your mind?

    Not really. I was not in politics. I was working as a professional lawyer. However, I was very close to the political class by virtue of my training as a political scientist, a scholar of International Relations and a lawyer who was interested in the development of the parliament. I was a lobbyist and a legislative attorney. I had the choice to mingle with the political class and the people who were interested in shaping the polity.

    Didn’t some of your friends think that going to Oke Ila to become the Oba would be a waste of your educational attainments?

    Yes, a lot of my friends in the political class thought so. The then Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, who was my boss, never liked the idea. The present Minister of National Planning too, did not like the idea. But in fairness, there were some other people who I also consulted in Abuja, who fell in love with it and said that service at any level is service. That it is not only when I stay in Abuja, New York, Toronto or Canada that I can be of service to the people. They said being at Oke-Ila would also be a service to the people. Some of the people who urged me on were Senator Ajimobi, the present Governor of Oyo state, the former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University who later became a Senator and other well experienced scholars of the bible said it is important for people like me to be in leadership at the traditional level so that we can gradually re-construct the institution for the good of the people.

    After 12 years as a traditional ruler, what do you think of the traditional institution?

    I think it is a great institution to develop our people in social, political and economic areas. We are the grassroots people. A whole lot of us have left our people for too long in terms of provision of leadership. When I got here, I found that it is a place where I have to think of development from the bottom and not from the top.

    As one who has seen the world and had developed a cosmopolitan taste to comfortably resettle in Oke-Ila means that there must be something unique about the place. What is the unique thing about Oke-Ila?

    Man itself, the epicentre of development even in his rustic form, is an attraction here. And to change the mentality of the people is tough and challenging. But the Yoruba say that ibi t’o ba le la n b’omokunrin (it is in tough situations that you find the real man). It is challenging. But to the glory of God, we are here.

    You have always been a man of style. Has life in the palace affected your sense of style?

    I have been a lawyer. But even before becoming a lawyer, I did not joke with style and looking good. I’ve kept my style. I enjoy looking good, and as a Yoruba monarch, I have a sense of responsibility to look good and project the advancement of the Yoruba culture and tradition in terms of style.

    What vanities of life can you not be without even when you are in Oke Ila?

    (Laughs) There are two important things that I do not joke with. I don’t joke with my sunglasses; it’s a Rayban, and my Aramis cologne, not only in Oke Ila but every other place that I am. These are two things I got used to early in life.

    What part of the arts appeal to you?

    I listen to all sorts of good music. I like R & B. I love the kind of music that my children are producing these days; they all make sense to me. I don’t joke with my son Davido’s music. There is beauty in our culture and there’s greatness in our language. The rustic nature of our Oke-Ila is beautiful; it is the most beautiful place in the world. There is waterfall, lush greenery; the environment is beautiful and lovely to be tapped into as a lucrative tourist destination. It is very good for rural tourism. A lot of our children do not even know what cocoa pod is.

    We hear that you own a school and the students don’t pay school fees…

    None of the students in my school pays a dime. The school is totally free. I beg people, friends to assist in one way or another to send the children to school. At the last count, we had 94 rural indigent students. And to the Glory of God, in the coming school year when we will be having children in SS2, we are going to have 114 in the school. It is a boarding school. What we are doing at Abolarin College is our humble contribution to the society. I actually teach in the school. I teach them Government and History because I am conscious of the fact that we want to raise great leaders among the poor.

    It generally believed that a traditional ruler is entitled to as many wives. How have you managed to handle women who try to be your wife?

    The choice is mine as a king or royal. It is a fundamental right of each soul to practice and do what he wants to do. I am okay with my Olori (wife). With the 114 projected students that I will be looking after, there is no way I will be able to consider having multiple Oloris. I cannot afford it. Culture is not static; it is dynamic. I am thinking of the future. I want a glorious future for the children around me. I want Nigeria, through these children, to be the best place in the world. It is doable. All hands should be on deck. The fear of children school fees has made me not to seek more Oloris.

  • Ajimobi, Ayefele and the Music House demolition

    WHEN he met with gospel musician and proprietor of Fresh FM radio station Yinka Ayefele in company with the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and other traditional rulers last Thursday over the state’s demolition of Music House, Governor Abiola Ajimobi found it difficult to dispel the notion that he ordered the demolition for political reasons. Fresh FM is owned by Mr Ayefele and it is located in the controversial and now partly demolished building in Ibadan. The building, according to state government officials, contravened building approval laws. It was partially brought down early last Sunday. Since then, the demolition has become deeply controversial, with Mr Ayefele feeling offended by both the short demolition notice he was given and the demolition itself, and the government sticking to its guns that it took the right steps to protect the interest of the public and the rule of law.

    There are indications Mr Ayefele’s Music House contravened building approval and town planning laws, and the musician himself has quibbled somewhat in debunking the government’s arguments. But there are also indications that the government’s position was corrupted by extraneous considerations. Even if critics ignore Mr Ayefele’s allegations that that the demolition was politically motivated, the governor subsequently provided enough clues to corroborate that unseemly conclusion. The musician alleged that government officials had repeatedly complained about the harsh commentaries broadcast on Fresh FM, and had sought a cessation or amelioration of the apparently unfavourable commentaries. But so far, no one has provided proof, written or taped, to substantiate that allegation.

    However, the ultimate proof that some politics might be involved in the controversy and the demolition was Mr Ajimobi’s response to Mr Ayefele’s observations during the conciliation meeting attended by the aforesaid traditional rulers. The Nigerian Tribune newspaper quoted the governor as saying the following: “Basically, he (Ayefele) has stated his case and I then agreed that I will let my people discuss with him. Let them see areas of conflict and look for the possibility of reconciliation. But above all, I told him that any entrepreneur must always be, at worst, neutral when it comes to politics. They should not venture into political arena. They should be the friends of all and work with all.” It is not clear where Mr Ajimobi got the impression that an entrepreneur must be apolitical, let alone a media establishment, or which law or constitution prohibits politicking by any entrepreneur, and which law empowers a political leader to demand what the law and constitution do not demand.

    Mr Ajimobi is not often diplomatic in his statements, nor, as it became evident from the interview he granted the BBC Yoruba Service, clever in judging the mood and the moment. He may have a good case in enforcing state building codes and laws, and may in fact be right in the case of the Music House demolition. But he is poor at reading the mood of his state, judging their sentiments, and speaking rightly to the occasion. He was probably shocked to see the spontaneous outpouring of love and empathy for Mr Ayefele and the massive condemnation of the actions of an unfeeling governor and government. Had he been an astute judge of people and events; had he recognised he would be leaving office in a few months and needed to leave a robust legacy; had he recognised how badly his meddling in Ibadan traditional chiefs matter resonated with the Oyo people; and had he realised he had never been a good manager of crises when his authority and the state are challenged by protests, he would have been less eager to get entangled in the manner he did in a matter involving a young and enterprising musician who had risen to be an icon in the state and beyond.

    Mr Ayefele may also have deliberately milked public sentiment over a matter he could have sorted out less publicly and acrimoniously, but it is hard to reprimand him for suspecting that the ultimate goal of the state government was to whittle down the influence and objectivity of his radio station. He can hardly be faulted for conflating the editorial independence of Fresh FM with the contravention of building and town planning laws. He imagined that had he toned down the views aired on his radio station the demolition would not have happened. However, the public will always side with Mr Ayefele, right or wrong, and the governor should have seen that coming, if he cared. In pursuing the demolition of Music House in the public interest, the circumstances surrounding Mr Ayefele as a popular musician and physically challenged entrepreneur who surmounted great obstacles to be even deserving of national honour should have prompted the governor to reach some accommodation with him outside public glare, and possibly to even offer to bear the cost of redressing the contravention. It is hard to see anyone opposing the governor had he chosen that altruistic option. He would have killed two birds with one stone and helped in great measure to mend public view of him as a callous leader incapable of judging the moment.

  • Demolition of Fresh FM: Impunity taken too far – NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) has said that demolition of Music house owned by Yinka Ayefele by the Oyo state government is impunity taken too far which is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated in any civilized society.

    President of Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that the action of the government shows a lack of capacity to manage public outrage for which the governor will bury his head in shame.

    The Congress said further that the conduct of the Oyo State Government represents an audacious affront to the Court that earlier gave a restraining order and an assault on public morality.

    The statement reads “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress join other well-meaning Nigerians in condemning the demolition of Music House by the Oyo State Government, the building belonging to Yinka Ayefele, the physically challenged music maestro.

    “The conduct of the Oyo State Government represents an audacious affront to the Court that gave a restraining order and an assault on public morality. This level of impunity is not acceptable to us and cannot be tolerated in any civilised society.
    “We believe the government acted maliciously, premeditatively, and with clear intent to cause grievous injury and hurt, the motive of which it is yet to make public.

    “Smarting from the round condemnation of the state’s criminal conduct, the Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi in a remorseless outburst gloated that curses placed on him in respect of this matter would not affect him.

    “We consider this as another level of impunity and pettiness unbecoming of a Governor and a clear demonstration of lack of capacity to manage public outrage. He should bury his head in shame.

    “We hope and pray Governor Ajimobi experiences a rebirth, rediscovers his humanity as well as reconnects with his people in service and humility instead of opening a new war front every other day.

    Read Also: SERAP to Ajimobi: Repair Ayefele’s building or face legal action

    “In our view, the Yinka Ayefele building, other than providing multiple sources of livelihood to many, represented a strong message to our youth that disability is not a barrier to industry or self-actualisation. It is a shame that the government is killing this dream in a state with a reputation for individual industry and commerce.

    “In light of the foregoing, we call on the government to tender an unreserved apology to Mr Yinka Ayefele, compensate him for his losses as well as promise to be of good behaviour to its citizens.

    “We similarly call on the court entertaining this matter to act appropriately against the Oyo State Government for its willful disobedience to its clear and unambiguous order. The court needs to do this to protect it’s authority as well as reassure the citizenry that truly no one is above the law.”

  • Ajimobi, Alaafin, Ayefele to resolve face-off over Music House demolition

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and proprietor of Fresh FM in Ibadan, Yinka Ayefele, met yesterday to resolve the face-off that followed the partial demolition of Music House, the structure housing the private radio station.

    Ayefele arrived the governor’s office in Agodi at 11.30 a.m in a black Toyota Sequoia Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with registration number (Lagos) AAA700FE.

    He was ushered in by a leading governorship aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Joseph Tegbe.

    Ayefele was accompanied by a director in his company, Mr David Ajiboye, a radio host, Mr Isaac Brown, among other officials.

    The popular singer was led into a private waiting area ahead of the governor’s arrival.

    Ajimobi went straight into the Executive Chamber where he met = executive members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    Also, Ayefele’s visit to the government secretariat coincided with that of traditional rulers from Oyo town and Oke Ogun, who paid homage to the governor for the Eid-el-Kabir festivities.

    The over 30 monarchs comprised of first-class and second-class obas from the zones.

    They were led by Oba Adeyemi.

    The NURTW members were on a condolence visit to the governor over the death of the union’s Oyo State and Southwest Chairman, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde (aka Fele).

    Ajimobi proceeded into the private suite to meet Ayefele and his team.

    The governor was accompanied by Oba Adeyemi; the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola; the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdulganiy Adekunle; the Iba of Kishi, Oba Moshood Aweda; the Onpetu of Ijeru, Oba Sunday Oyediran, among others.

    Top government officials at the meeting included the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun; the Director General of Bureau of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Waheed Gbadamosi, who also doubles as the Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Physical Planning and Development Control; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr Bolaji Tunji and the APC governorship aspirant, Joseph Tegbe.

    Others are Special Advisers to the Governor (on Efficiency) Dr. Isaac Ayandele and Mr. Abidemi Siyanbade (Community Relations).

    The meeting, which ended around 7 p.m, was said to have proffered a political solution to the controversy surrounding last Sunday’s partial demolition of Ayefele’s Music House on Aare Arisekola Alao Way at Challenge in Ibadan, valued at N800 million.

    It was learnt that Ajimobi expressed the willingness to resolve the controversy, insisting that neither himself nor his government had any issue with either Ayefele or Fresh FM but with the structure housing the radio station.

    According to him, the issue is a battle for the supremacy of the rule of law and respect for constituted authority.

    The governor, a source at the meeting said, expected every entrepreneur to maintain political neutrality.

    He said such persons may neither have friends nor enemies in the political class but must discharge their services to the public in line with the law.

    Ajimobi was said to have advised Ayefele and his team to mind their utterances and what people send to the public domain in their names.

    The governor said this was the reason the issue generated unnecessary heat.

    He added that the controversy would not deter his administration from respecting the law.

    The Alaafin reportedly urged Ajimobi to temper justice with mercy and allow a peaceful and amicable resolution of the matter.

    The frontline monarch reportedly said it was necessary to allow sound reasoning to prevail without any side claiming to be right or wrong.

    Ayefele was said to have apologised to the governor, acknowledging that he regretted not coming personally to see him when the matter first broke out.

    The musician reportedly said his efforts to meet Ajimobi before the partial demolition met brick walls.

    He expressed readiness for a peaceful resolution of the matter in the interest of peace.

    Neither Ayefele’s team nor a representative of the government agreed to address reporters on the outcome of the meeting.

     

  • Demolition: Ajimobi, Ayefele, Alaafin in closed door meeting

    There are indications that the ongoing rift between the Oyo State government and the Proprietor of Fresh FM, Ibadan, Dr Yinka Ayefele would soon be over, as the popular gospel musician is currently in a meeting with Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state.

    Ayefele who arrived the Agodi Governors office at about 11:30, Friday, was led in by a leading governorship aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Joseph Tegbe, in company of David Ajiboye, a director with Yinka Ayefele limited, Isaac Brown, a radio host and other officials.

    On arrival at the governor office, Ayefele was ushered into a private waiting area awaiting the arrival of the governor.

    Upon arrival in the office, the governor however went straight into the Executive chamber, where the executive members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) were waiting.

    Meanwhile, the visit of Ayefele to the Government Secretariat coincided with that of the traditional rulers from Oyo town and Oke Ogun who were at the governor office to greet the governor in the spirit of the Eid-Al-Adha festivities.

    The traditional rulers numbering over thirty, made up of first class and second class from the zones were led by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.

    But immediately after the meeting with the NURTW members who were on a condolence visit, the governor proceeded into the private suite to meet Ayefele and his team.

    Ajimobi was accompanied into the private meeting by Oba Adeyemi, the Eleruwa of Eruwa Oba Samuel Adegbola, Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdulganiy Adekunle, Iba of Kishiland, Oba Moshood Aweda, Onpetu of Ijeruland, Oba Sunday Oyediran among others.

    With the governor at the meeting which is ongoing as at the time of filing this report is the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, the Director General, Bureau of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Waheed Gbadamosi, who also doubles as the Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Physical Planning and Development Control, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr Bolaji Tunji, APC guber aspirant, Tegbe and some aides.

    The meeting is expected to address and proffer a political solution to the issues being generated by the partial demolition of the structure which is valued at N800million.

    Controversies, kudos and knocks have since Sunday been trailing the decision of the government to demolish part of Music House building housing the radio station, located at Aare Arisekola Alao Way, Challenge Area, Ibadan.

    Sources privy to the discussions at the meeting informs that the Governor who expresses willingness to let the matter lay to rest insisted that neither himself nor his government had any issue with either Ayefele as a person nor Fresh FM but with the structure housing the radio station.

    According to him, the issue is a battle for the supremacy of rule or law and respect for the laws of the land.

    The source added that, as expected of every entrepreneurs who should at least be politically neutral, business as such should not have friend nor enemy in the discharge of her service to the public.

    The govern was said to have enjoined Ayefele and his team to mind their utterances and what people send to the public domain in their name, pointing out that that was the reason the issue had generated unnecessary heat but that such will not deter the government from doing the needful in respecting the rule of law.

    Earlier, the Alaafin in a short remarks had appealed to the Governor to temper justice with mercy on the issue and allow for peaceful and amicable resolution of the matter.

    Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeyemi with Gov Ajimobi of Oyo State during a visit of Alaafin and other Obas to Gov Ajimobi in Ibadan on Thursday

    The first class monarch was quoted to have said in the appeal that allowing sound reason to prevail without laying claim to who was right and who was wrong would help douse the tension generated by the matter and foster peaceful mutual coexistence describing Ayefele as a good son, to which the governor was said to have agreed.

    Ayefele was reported to have apologise to the governor acknowledging that he erred in some ways, saying all his moves to see the governor before the eventual partial demolition was unfruitful and that he regretted not coming personally to see the governor instead of doing so in writing and by proxy.

    He was said to have expressed readiness for peaceful and amicable resolution of the matter in the interest of peace.

    After about thirty minutes of discussion and outpouring of minds, the Governor and the traditional rulers stepped out and headed for the Government House, where the governor was expected to host the traditional rulers to a reception in the spirit of the Eid-Al-Adha festivities.

    Governor Ajimobi however instructed the team of his officials to continue the meeting and come out with a mutually consented stand.

    The meeting is still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

    More details later…..

  • Be compassionate, former Chief of Staff advises Ajimobi

    A former Chief of  Staff to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State,  Prof. Adeolu Akande, has appealed to him to restore the virtue of compassion into his government.

    Akande made the appeal to the governor  in a statement  he issued in Ibadan on Wednesday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akande, a Political Science lecturer at Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo, was Chief of  Staff to Ajimobi during his first term in office.

    Akande said  recent actions of the government suggest that some elements in the Ajimobi-led administration had  forgotten that the administration emerged in 2011 with a promise to protect the welfare of the people.

    “Many recent actions of the government are at variance with its disposition at inception in 2011.

    “This suggests that some forces who are not privy to the pledge of Ajimobi to the people have made ascendancy in the government to the detriment of what the government stood for at inception,” he said

    He said  no administration  without the element of compassion would go down in history as  successful.

    Akande said  that the primary responsibility of any government was to protect lives and property, adding that  the sacredness of private property comes after preservation of life in terms of importance.

    “A government has a duty to make all necessary measures to protect the property of private citizens just as it has a duty to protect their lives,” he stated.

    He said that the furore generated by the demolition of the property of  Yinka Ayefele, a popular musician,  must have demonstrated to the government by now that it was an unpopular decision.

    “Government is about the people and not the anger and emotions of the people in government.

    “ The Yoruba captures this truism when they say  a ruler rules with wisdom and not with stubbornness.

    “The Ayefele saga has once again brought to the fore the need for the governor to rethink his government and review its personnel and focus  as he embarks on his homestretch so that history can be kind to him,’’ he said.

    Akande said he  was pained that the lofty ideals that endeared the governor to the people in the early years had  been abandoned and replaced with practices that could  wipe out such achievements.

    “It is more painful that many of the personnel who encourage controversial government decisions and actions claim innocence in private conversations and never identified themselves with those decisions, even in public,” he said.

    Akande urged the governor to rethink his posture on the demolition of the building belonging to Ayefele and make amendments that would restore public confidence in his person and administration.

    “Ayefele means many things to many people. His rise to grace in spite of a major life challenge makes him a model for a good percentage of our people.

    “As a musician, he has been the purveyor of joy and happiness to many of us because of his melodious and philosophical music.

    “As a philanthropist, he is a great shield for hundreds of thousands of people. As the promoter of Fresh FM, he is a trustee of public trust as the station has become the Voice of the Voiceless,’’ he said.

    He recalled how the governor directed all government agencies to protect Ayefele’s building from demolition in 2012 during the dualisation of the Challenge-Toll Gate road in spite of persuasion from some forces to demolish it.

    Akande pleaded that Ajimobi should exhibit this same compassion in taking measures that would protect Ayefele’s  private investment in the state   and restore public admiration for him.

    “Government should open discussion with Ayefele and find an amicable resolution of the dispute. Ayefele needs to be protected because he is a valuable icon of our society,” he said.

    He advised Ajimobi to extend the same sense of compassion to  the handling of the  subsisting issues at  LAUTECH and the closure of tertiary institutions occasioned by the reduction in subvention to the institutions.

    “I make this appeal because the governor is on the homestretch of his administration and there will not be such auspicious opportunity for him to etch his name on the positive side of history.

    “Those who encourage the governor to embrace hard-line positions in his last months in government are not his friends and do not mean well for him and Oyo State,”  Akande, a governorship aspirant, said.  (NAN)

  • NBC condemns demolition of Fresh FM by Oyo govt.

    The National Broadcasting Commission (NNBC ) has condemned the demolition of the structure housing the Fresh FM in Ibadan by the Oyo State Government.

    The Director-General of NBC, Ishaq Midibbo-Kawu, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin, said the demolition was a worrisome development and did not speak well of the state government.

    The structure, “Music House, ” reportedly valued at N800 million and which had been in operation for 10 years, was demolished in the early hours of Sunday.

    The property is owned by a popular musician, Yinka Ayefele.

    Kawu said: “The development is worrisome because for all it is worth, the broadcast outfits are playing a big role in reducing unemployment, especially in this situation where many young Nigerians are idle.

    “They also play social, informational, educational and entertaining roles in the society.

    “Such development does not speak well of the government and has a negative effect on the nation, especially at a point when more broadcasting outfits are influencing the social space in the country.

    “In this case particularly, there are so many issues that can be weaved up negatively by people.

    “We hope that as we move forward, we will be able to find a solution to the situation,” Modibbo-Kawu said.

    The director-general said when the NBC got hint of the demolition, he made some contacts with some people in the state.

    Kawu said that he could, however, not stop it.

    The NBC boss promised to set up a meeting with the state government on finding a way forward on the issue.

    The NBC boss recalled a similar experience in Nasarawa State about a year ago when the property housing Breeze 99.9 FM was demolished.

    “What we did was to meet our licensee to find out what the issues were because he was prepared to go to court.

    “We also met with the state Commissioner for Information and the Governor.

    “The issue also was that the building violated the usage of urban space.

    “We were able to reach an agreement that the government should give the broadcaster a new plot of land and assist him to go back to building a new station.

    “However, just last week, I got a letter that the side of the government in the agreement had not been fulfilled,” he said.

    Modibbo-Kawu also clarified the recent media report that his commission banned some songs, saying Nigerians must understand the statutory mandate of the NBC.

    “It is important to let Nigerians understand that NBC does not ban any song.

    “I read on social media platforms all the time that NBC banned a song; the commission never bans any song.

    “What NBC does all the time is to remind our licensees that there are certain categorisation of music that are important in broadcasting.

    “If a song is categorised, “Not To Be Broadcast” (NTBB) because of the lyrics of the song, then, we will remind the broadcasters that they cannot be broadcast.

    “This is what it is misinterpreted in the social media that we banned the song,” he said

    The director general also refuted the allegation that NBC was “carrying out a Jihad on Nigerian songs” based on a petition by a faith-based human rights organisation, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

    He stressed that the NBC did not carry out any Jihad, but only responded to a song on a radio station because it had lyrics that were NTBB.

    Kawu gave an assurance that the Federal Government, through the NBC, would not infringe on artistic liberty or licence.

    He, however, reminded artistes and broadcast organisations of their responsibilities to Nigerians and the youths, in particular.

    “Last week, I issued a press release to urge Nigerian artistes to have different versions of their songs.

    “They should do a version that can be used for public broadcast space and another version for club usage which can carry all kinds of lyrics that they want.

    “If they want their songs to be broadcast on radio and television in Nigeria, these songs must conform to rules and must be songs that young people can listen to,” he said.

    He disclosed that the commission was planning a national dialogue with Nigeria leading artistes on the need to avoid vulgar lyrics and hate speeches in their songs.

    “The truth of the matter is that 75 per cent of our population is under the age of 35 while 63 per cent is under the age of 25, so we have a younger population.

    “If you go on Youtube, Olamide song, “Wo” has over 10 million hits.

    “ That tells you the kind of influence these young artistes have on all our children in the country.

    “They should help to orientate the young people on the right values.

    “If their songs celebrate sex, violence, the use of drugs, alcohol and fraud, then they are not helping in the moulding of young people

    “We believe that the young generation who listen to them can be guided through the use of their artistic works to play functional social purposes in the society,” he said.

    He said the dialogue would focus on the need for the artistes to use their music to propagate positive messages about development.

  • Ajimobi urges calm as NURTW chair dies

    •’Ejiogbe’ appointed acting chair

    There was anxiety yesterday in Oyo State as news broke that the state Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde (aka Fele) had died.

    It was learnt that the union’s National President, Alhaji Yasin, as well as other stakeholders announced the appointment of the Vice Chairman in Oyo State, Alhaji Abideen Olajide (aka Ejiogbe), as the Acting Chairman.

    A source close to the late commercial drivers’ chairman confirmed his death to The Nation yesterday.

    Oyerinde was said to have had serious issues with his health, making him pay frequent visits to the hospital in the last one year.

    The late NURTW chairman was born on October 1, 1960 and reportedly died at Zenith Kidney Hospital in Abuja, the nation’s capital, at 2 p.m yesterday.

    Fele officially succeeded Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (aka Tokyo) in 2011 after years of violent supremacy battle between Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi (aka Auxilliary) and the late Alhaji Lateef (aka Eleweomo).

    The latter was killed in Ibadan in a political violence late 2010 at the height of the supremacy battle among the union’s leaders.

    Auxilliary is currently serving a jail term for criminal offenses.

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has described the death of the state Chairman of the National Union of Road and Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde (aka Fele), as depressing and tragic.

    In a statement yesterday in Ibadan, the state capital, by his Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, the governor said he received the news with a heavy heart and utter disbelief.

    Describing the death of the NURTW chairman as a huge loss to the family, the state and the Southwest, Ajimobi said he was particularly pained because he had lost a dependable ally and purveyor of peace.

    The governor said he was proud of Oyerinde’s chairmanship of the NURTW in the Southwest, adding that it was in recognition of his sterling leadership ability and propagation of peace and orderliness among drivers.

    Ajimobi said: “I am greatly saddened by the passing away of Fele. It is very unfortunate and disheartening, especially because he has over time proved to be a dependable ally in our administration’s quest to restore peace in the land.

    “That the motor parks across the state are rancour and violence-free today can be partly attributed to his yeoman efforts to whip errant and rapacious drivers into line. He commands respect among the drivers for his sterling leadership qualities.

    “His death is indeed a big loss, not only to his family but also to the NURTW nationwide and the people of Ibadan. May the Almighty grant the family and loved ones the fortitude to bear this great loss.

    “With the directive of the national leadership of the union that Fele’s deputy, Alhaji Abideen Olajide (aka Ejiogbe) should fill the vacuum created by his death in acting capacity, I urge our drivers to respect this decision and go about their lawful activities without rancour.

    “I enjoin the good people of Oyo State to be vigilant around motor parks and report any act capable of breaching public peace without delay. May Allah repose the gentle soul of the deceased and grant him the highest place in Jannah.”

    The governor sued for calm and admonished the NURTW leadership in the state to eschew violence or leadership tussle.

     

  • Ajimobi and the Ayefele affair

    At the temple of justice on Monday, the Oyo government lawyer apparently feared the wrath of the law named contempt. So, the senior advocate sought the easiest getaway by telling a lie whose incredulity can only be likened to the futility of seeking to hide behind a finger.

    When confronted on the effrontery of his client to demolish a property when the case was already being heard by the court, the learned counsel, without batting an eyelid, casually replied that the Oyo government under Abiola Ajimobi knew nothing about the the bulldozer that sneaked behind Music House sheltering Fresh FM station along Ring Road in Ibadan to wreak havoc in the small hours of last Sunday.

    But just before the rest of us began to wonder if extra-terrestrial creatures had actually infiltrated the nation’s space and transmogrified into the motorized beast that tore into Yinka Ayefele’s property that dawn, came a statement by the state government more or less disowning its own attorney, suggesting that the falcon could no longer hear the falconer.

    Without mincing words, the Oyo government claimed responsibility, citing the refusal of the petitioner to regularize the building plan. The owner of Fresh FM is accused of making additions to the design originally approved in 2008; that the distortion now constitutes environmental hazard, which the government claims were responsible for motor accidents recorded in the vicinity in recent times; and that the deadline issued the station to regularize its title fell on deaf ears.

    Fine argument, at least from the point of due process, if not sophistry. But in making a strong pitch for the sanctity of regulation, Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his people appear to have conveniently turned a deaf ear to a higher calling: submission to the rule of law. Nothing but bad faith is implied when a government proceeds with a demolition action in spite of an ongoing court case. Especially given that the petitioner is insisting that he has all necessary building permits from the state authorities.

    Sitting in Ibadan penultimate Monday, Oyo State High Court presided over by Justice I. S. Yerima had ordered the hearing notice and necessary processes be served on the state government at the hearing of a motion ex-parte filed by Ayefele, the property owner who is a popular musician.

    It is a moot point in law that any action be suspended by the defendant in the circumstance.

    It is therefore strange indeed that Ajimobi would still proceed in his avowed quest to correct a perceived illegality only to commit another illegality.

    On that basis alone, it becomes difficult for anyone to defend the government action, however public-spirited the stated intention might be.

    So, what could possibly be the justification – if not ungodliness and impunity – for the government’s mad haste to deploy the bulldozer when the case was already being heard in court at the hour of a Sabbath Day when all true Christian believers should be preparing for morning worship in the temple?

    Again, what this episode has invariably put in focus is the propriety or otherwise of making citizens pay for what would seem the fruit of the dereliction of civil servants. Assuming that Fresh FM actually infringed on the rule as argued by OYSG, there is no way the accuser themselves can shirk vicarious responsibility. Where were the relevant government agencies when the disputed additional structures were being erected? Why was the owner not stopped along the way?

    Coming when fascism is still being read to police detention of Premium Times reporter recently for nothing more than performing professional duty within constitutional limit, the latest action against Music House is bound to heighten fear of possible epidemic of official intolerance in the land. Behind the facade being strenuously made by the Oyo Government of alleged breach of extant building regulation is indeed something quite unspeakable: weighty charges of malice and prejudice against the state chief executive.

    Only recently, the governor himself had given hint of being under partisan pressure from within his cabinet to hurt the station for being adversarial. While featuring on a live programme by the same station, Ajumobi disclosed he had shunned such prompting believing Fresh FM could change and become his supporter one day.

    Now, what came into circulation shortly before the demolition exercise was a strong-worded memo purportedly written earlier by the state Attorney General ordering the radio station to not only retract a comment made by a guest on its programm considered offensive to the administration but also tender unreserved apology to be broadcast intermittently for seven days.

    Against this backcloth, there is therefore enough circumstantial grounds to link the station’s refusal to cower to what is evidently an unreasonable demand by the government as the trigger for this fascist action.

    While the government has reason to be offended if anyone had erroneously linked Ajimobi to having commercial interest in an abbatoir concern, it is clearly beyond its remit to make such prohibitive demand on the station. The station is only a platform. It is ludicrous indeed to expect it to retract or apologize for someone’s comment.

    What is reasonable in the circumstance is for the government to take advantage of the next available opportunity on the same platform to make own case in exercise of the conventional right of reply.

    We are yet to hear if such demand was ever made but spurned.

    If nothing all, the spontaneous public protest in Ibadan and the widespread condemnation across the country should tell Ajimobi he has chosen the wrong target and time to flex his gubernatorial muscle. Assuming he ever won the legal argument, it is doubtful if he can also sway the court of public opinion.

    Let us face it – Ayefele is a cultural icon in his own right. What makes his legend outstanding is the very circumstance of its making. Here is a man who refused to resign to self-pity after a serious motor mishap. By uncommon human will and sheer industry, he thereafter parlayed God-given talent in music to achieve celebrity and material success.

    Though now confined to wheel-chair, he has created a pulsating sound that has been moving a nation on the dance-floor in the last two decades. By that, he has become people’s hero.

    So, when a government chooses to deploy a bulldozer cowardly in the night to pull down the monument erected by such idol, especially under circumstances that appear malicious, sheer wickedness is what the crowd see.

    Ajimobi ought to know that, though his bulldozers may have succeeded in disfiguring the physical house Ayefele built, it is simply impossible to completely overrun his shrine – at least in the minds of the people.

    However, it is not too late in the day for the governor to make amends. The most dignifying step forward is to immediately work out a compensation package to include allocation of a suitable parcel of land and a reasonable sum to enable Ayefele resettle and move on.

     

  • Eid-el Kabir: Ajimobi join Muslims to pray (Photos)

    Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi on Tuesday  joined Muslim faithful to pray at Eid ground.

    Babasale Musulumi of Oyo State, Alhaji Lateef Oyelade; state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Lekan Alli; and Alhaji Akinade Fijabi, at the Eid Prayer Ground, Ibadan… on Tuesday.
    L-R: Babasale Musulumi of Oyo State, Alhaji Lateef Oyelade; state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Lekan Alli; and Alhaji Akinade Fijabi, at the Eid Prayer Ground, Ibadan… on Tuesday.
    Babasale Musulumi of Oyo State, Alhaji Lateef Oyelade; state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; and Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Lekan Alli, at the Eid Prayer Ground, Ibadan… on Tuesday.
    Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (right), with some youths at the Eid Prayer Ground, in Ibadan… on Tuesday.